Chopper rescue for stricken ship

A Chinese helicopter flew over a Russian ship, trapped in Antarctic sea-ice since Christmas Day, as icebreakers make their way to help the stranded vessel. Sarah Toms reports.

MOST of the passengers and some of the crew stranded on a scientific expedition ship off Antarctica will be evacuated by a Chinese helicopter should the weather allow, Russian authorities say.

"A decision has been reached to evacuate 52 passengers and four crew members by helicopter from China's Xue Long ship, should the weather allow," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Russian-flagged MV Akademik Shokalskiy has been stuck on an ice field since last week with 74 people on board. The multinational passenger list includes scientists as well as tourists and crew.

Snow gusts that severely hampered visibility on Monday forced the icebreaker Aurora Australis to turn around, passengers aboard the stricken MV Akademik Shokalskiy had been told to prepare for the "worst case scenario".

The Moscow ministry's statement said its diplomats in Australia had received assurances from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy's Russian captain that everybody on board the ship was safe.

MV Akademik Shokalskiy crew outside the stranded boat on Saturday/ Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

"According to (the captain), all the crew and other members of the expedition are in good health," the Russian ministry statement said.

"Neither their lives nor safety are under threat."

The Aurora battled its way through the freezing conditions and had come within 10 nautical miles of the Russian passenger ship, which has been wedged in a 20 nautical mile wide ice floe since Christmas Eve.

But 30-knot winds and driving snow has forced the rescue icebreaker to turn back.

"These weather conditions have resulted in poor visibility and made it difficult and unsafe for the Aurora Australis to continue (the) attempt to assist the MV Akademik Shokalskiy," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.

The Aurora Australis is pushing through thick ice to reach the stricken Russian ship. Source: Supplied

"Further attempts may be made by the vessel in due course to undertake the rescue once weather conditions improve.

"The Aurora Australis made it within 10 nautical miles of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy but is now located in open waters about 18 nautical miles east of the Russian vessel."

Onboard the Finnish-built Shokalskiy were 26 tourists, 22 Russian crew, four UK journalists and 22 scientists from Australia and New Zealand hoping to recreate Sir Douglas Mawson's epic Antarctic expedition to Commonwealth Day.

An earlier attempt by Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon to reach the ship was also abandoned on Saturday when it, too, encountered impenetrable ice.

A penguin looks on with the stranded ship in the background / Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

It was hoped the Aurora, with its higher icebreaking rating, would be able to cut its way through but an Antarctic "white out" was making for slow progress.

"The area is currently experiencing snow showers, resulting in poor visibility," AMSA spokeswoman Lisa Martin said earlier today.

"The Aurora Australis is travelling slowly due to the conditions to ensure the safety of all on board."

The expedition is being led by University of NSW Professor Chris Turney who continues to post updates on social media.

Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

On Sunday, after conditions eased and temperatures reached 2C, he said cracks in the ice had begun appearing around the ship.

"Cracks are developing around the bow. Hope this helps," he wrote on Twitter.

But with a return of inclement weather he said a satellite report "shows mass breakout of old sea ice from other side of Mertz Glacier" - the same direction as the choking ice floes which trapped the Shokalskiy a week ago at Cape de la Motte.

"Wind picked and it's snowing as forecast for this am Good news: Aurora making attempt from E [east]" he posted yesterday.

"High winds this am; sorry for limited comms. Set up tent on top deck. All well. Aurora making good progress. Waiting game!"

Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

ICE-STRANDED EXPLORERS' MESSAGE:

A statement from the Australasian Antarctic Expedition:

We're stuck in our own experiment. We came to Antarctica to study how one of the biggest icebergs in the world has altered the system by trapping ice. We followed Sir Douglas Mawson's footsteps into Commonwealth Bay, and are now ourselves trapped by ice surrounding our ship.

Sea ice is disappearing due to climate change, but here ice is building up. We have found this has changed the system on many levels. The increase in sea ice has freshened the seawater below, so much so that you can almost drink it. This change will have impacts on the deep ocean circulation.

Underwater, forests of algae are dying as sea-ice blocks the light. Who can say what effects the regional circulation changes may have on the ice sheet of the Antarctic plateau, or whether the low number of seals suggests changes to their population.

Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

According to his blog, UK science journalist Alok Jha aboard the Shokalskiy said passengers were given daily briefings on the rescue mission with some asking questions about how the evacuation would work.

Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

He said they also asked how many possessions they would be allowed to take and how they could contact family and airlines back home, given the ship's limited telecommunications.

"If the joint efforts of the Aurora Australis and [Snow Dragon] don't work, the only other option will be to evacuate the ship by air, though this would be the absolute worst case scenario," he posted.

Picture: Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com Source: AFP

Thick ice hampers the rescue of a Russian ship on a research mission trapped in Antarctica. Sarah Toms reports.

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'Shark' photobombs surfing kids

Cruising ... A snap taken by a mother of her 12-year-old son and his friend surfing Manhattan Beach appears to have also captured a large shark. Picture: June Emerson

A MOTHER looking through photographs she snapped of her son at the beach has made a startling discovery.

June Emerson went with her 12-year-old son Quinn and a friend to Manhattan Beach, California, on Friday, and took pictures of the youngsters surfing, KTLA reports.

In one of the images of the boys on their surfboards, there appears to be a large shark in the breaking wave in front of them.

"Many local surfers and lifeguards have seen this and believe it to be a shark," she said. "Of course, I told my kids it was dolphin, as we live at the beach and are in the waters here almost daily."

Great white shark sightings are not uncommon at the popular beach, but researchers have warned thrill seekers they will attack if they feel threatened.

Paddleboarder Jay Dohner recently posted a video of three sharks off Manhattan Beach, shot with a helmet-mounted camera.

 

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Gunmen fire on ambassador's home

Evidence ... markers show where bullet casings were found after an attack outside the residence of German ambassador to Athens. Picture: Thanassis Stavrakis Source: AP

THE home of Germany's ambassador to Greece was sprayed with gunfire from automatic weapons early Monday, in a suspected terrorist attack.

The government said the event was aimed at hurting the country's image before it takes over the presidency of the European Union. No one was hurt.

Anti-terrorism police cordoned off streets around the official residence of Ambassador Wolfgang Dold following the pre-dawn shooting on a busy road in the Halandri area of the capital. They recovered more than 60 bullet casings from the scene.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Six people were briefly detained for questioning and released without charge while investigators were examining video from surveillance cameras as well as a stolen car found near the scene of the shooting, police said.

As Greece's biggest bailout lender, Germany is often the subject of strong criticism in the country, which is suffering through a sixth year of recession and tough austerity measures imposed as a condition of its rescue loans.

Mr Dold, a 55-year-old career diplomat who has three children, thanked the government for the police's "swift response.''

"To those responsible for this action, I state it will not affect the close and friendly relations between our two countries, and it will not reverse the country's economic recovery,'' he said in a statement.

Attack ... Police investigate outside the residence of German Ambassador to Athens Wolfgang Dold. The house was sprayed with gunfire from automatic weapons. Picture: Thanassis Stavrakis

Foreign diplomats were repeatedly targeted by far-left terrorist groups active from the mid-1970s but such attacks have been rare since a major police crackdown on radical militants that started more than a decade ago and resulted in multiple arrests and convictions.

The same building had been targeted in a 1999 attack using an improvised rocket launcher that also resulted in no injuries and was claimed by the November 17 terrorist group.

On Monday, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras telephoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel as well the German ambassador following the attack. The government said it was meant to tarnish the country's reputation during its January 1-June 30 presidency of the EU.

"The Greek government expresses its outrage and outright condemnation of today's cowardly terrorist action which had the only apparent and objective of (damaging) Greece's image abroad ... The perpetrators will soon be brought to justice,'' a Foreign Ministry statement said.
 

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Second fatal blast hits Russian city

The Russian city of Volgograd suffers its second deadly public transport bombing in as many days. Paul Chapman reports.

AT LEAST 15 people - including a one-year-old child - have been killed in an explosion on a trolley bus in Volgograd, the second fatal attack on the southern Russian city within 24 hours.

A bystander captures the aftermath of the bus explosion in Volgograd. Source: Twitter

The blast comes just a day after a female suicide bomber killed 10 people and injured dozens at a train station in the southern Russian city.

Investigators say the latest attack is an act of terror.

At least 15 people have been killed in an explosion on a bus in Volgograd - the second to hit the Russian city in two days.

The attack come 40 days before Russia is to hold the Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

Volgograd, the renamed Stalingrad, is 900 kilometres south of Moscow and 600 kms north-east of Sochi.

A suicide bomber, reported to be a 'Black Widow' terrorist, struck at a train station in Volgograd on Sunday, killing at least 15 others and wounding scores more.

The bomb, which had been packed with nails and screws, contained about 10kg of explosives, Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for federal investigators, said.

A female suicide bomber set off a blast in a train station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd that killed at least 13 people, news reports and officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing in Volgograd, but it came several months after Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov called for new attacks against civilian targets in Russia, including the Sochi Games.

Suicide bombings have rocked Russia for years, but many have been contained to the Caucasus, the center of an insurgency seeking an Islamist state in the region. Until recently Volgograd was not a typical target, but the city has now been struck twice in two months - suggesting militants may be using the transportation hub as a renewed way of showing their reach outside their restive region.

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UK to charge tourists for medical care

Safe travels... A trip to the emergency room in the UK could become a lot more expensive. Source: ThinkStock

BRITAIN'S government has announced plans to require migrants and international tourists to pay for emergency medical treatments.

They would also require migrants and visitors to pay for minor surgery that takes place in doctors' offices.

The changes, along with other fee increases, are part of an overall plan to reduce "health tourism" and lessen the tax burden.

Health official Frederick Curzon said the financial changes are needed because "we must make sure the system is fair to the hardworking British taxpayers who fund it".

Officials said no one would be turned away from emergency rooms but that payment would be expected.

The proposals were announced as some politicians warn that Britain's resources are being strained by providing services to immigrants.

Details are scheduled to be announced in March.

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Germany to Japan: Deal with WWII past

Souring relations... A South Korean protester burns an anti-Japan banner after police officers spray fire extinguisher during a rally against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul.

GERMANY has said it tried to deal "honestly" with its World War II past and urged Japan to do the same after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to a controversial war shrine.

"I do not wish to comment on questions related to Japanese domestic politics," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about the surprise Yasukuni shrine visit which enraged China and South Korea.

"But in general all nations must honestly live up to their role in the horrible events of the 20th century. Only on the basis of this honest accounting is it possible to build a future with former foes.
This is a conviction Germany takes to heart and which in my opinion applies to all states."

Mr Abe sparked anger in China and South Korea last week by visiting the Tokyo shrine, which honours Japan's war dead, including several high-level officials executed for war crimes after World War II, and serves as a reminder of Japan's wartime aggression.

The visit came at a time when Japan's ties with China have turned particularly sour over a territorial dispute regarding islands in the East China Sea.

Foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer added that Berlin was following the "tensions in the East China Sea with some concern and very closely".

"In our view it would be helpful if all sides strived for restraint and moderation and jointly sought a diplomatic solution for running conflicts and, in particular, avoided unilateral steps that could heighten the tensions in the region."

Rebuke... South Korean conservative activists set fire to effigies of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a protest to lodge a complaint against Abe visiting the Yasukuni war shrine.

Germany takes pride in what it sees as its own earnest effort to atone for its militaristic past and the murder of six million European Jews in the Holocaust, although critics say it still has more to do.

Militaristic past... Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the controversial Yasukuni war shrine in Tokyo on December 26.

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Mum 'murders' daughter at Christmas

Accused ... Connie Villa has been charged with murdering her 13-year-old daughter on Christmas Day and attempting to kill her three younger children. Picture: Casa Grande Police Department

A US mother is in prison after allegedly attempting to fatally poison her four children on Christmas Day.

Connie Villa, 35, forced her children aged 3,5, 8 and 13 to swallow prescription narcotics, according to police in Casa Grande, Arizona. The eldest, Aniarael Macias, was found dead in the family's bathroom, AZ Central reports.

The father of the younger three children, Adam Villa, called police on Wednesday night to say his wife had lured him to the apartment before stabbing him repeatedly.

He called emergency services as he drove himself to the hospital.

When police forced their way into the home, they came upon a frightening scene. Connie was in the kitchen holding a knife to her chest, with the three younger children by her side. She had stab wounds to her upper torso that appeared to be self-inflicted.

Aniarael's body was discovered in the bathroom. A cause of death was not immediately apparent and toxicology reports may take several weeks.

The younger children appeared unharmed but later tested positive in hospital for traces of opiates.

Victim ... Aniarael Macias, found dead in the bathroom of her family home on Christmas Day.

The family of the Aniarael issued a statement, saying: "On behalf of Michael Macias, Ania's father, Vera Macias, Ania's grandmother and extended family, we request that the focus of this tragedy be a celebration of our precious Ania's life.

"She was a gentle, kind and beautiful spirit who was taken from us much too soon. Michael and his family are heartbroken. Ania was always smiling. She loved her brothers and sisters. She enjoyed spending time with her father and sister Gaby.

"We are writing this statement in hopes that the media and other outlets will allow Michael and our family to grieve peacefully. We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our family. We appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts. We pray that justice will be served."

Connie Villa was admitted to hospital to treat her stab wounds, before being released and booked on a charge of first degree murder and four charges of attempted murder.

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Woman detained for brandishing shoebox

Back in your box... A woman was deatined for waving a shoebox at an anti-government protest in Turkey, in reference to the millions of dollars police found stuffed in shoeboxes as part of a sweeping graft probe. Source: AFP

A TURKISH woman was detained after brandishing a shoebox in an anti-government protest over a sweeping graft probe that has ensnared allies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, local media reported Monday.

The shoebox has become a symbol of the corruption scandal after police earlier this month found $US4.5 million ($5.1 million) stashed in shoeboxes in the home of one of the suspects, the chief executive of Turkish state-owned Halkbank.

Pensioner Nurhan Gul was briefly held after she brandished a shoebox as Erdogan was speaking at a party rally in the western town of Akhisar on Sunday.

"I took the empty shoebox and waved it... In one or two minutes, police and security guards knocked my door and asked who waved the shoebox," the Hurriyet newspaper quoted Ms Gul as saying.

She said she was interrogated and then released pending trial.

The leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called Ms Gul to show his support for her action.

"Every citizen has the right to protest," he reportedly said.

The corruption inquiry has struck at the heart of Turkey's ruling elite ahead of elections next year set to be a key test for Mr Erdogan.

The Turkish strongman has faced a wave of demonstrations since the raids against several key allies, calling for him to step down after 11 years in power.

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